North Carolina is one of the most environmentally diverse states in the country. It is home to over 40 state parks, 10 national parks and four national forests; however, there are five state parks that seem to stand out among the rest.
The fifth best state park is a short 30 minute drive from FVHS and is the most visited park in the North Carolina State Parks System. This is, of course, the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area.
Jordan Lake welcomed 2.5 million visitors in 2023, earning the title of most visited park for its second year in a row. In 2022, Jordan Lake only had 2 million visitors, which reflects the overall visitorship of North Carolina State Parks.
Fourth overall is the Hammocks Beach State Park. Located in Swansboro, NC, Hammocks Beach offers many different aquatic activities for visitors, as well as 6.3 miles of hiking trails on both the mainland and the islands. One of the coolest things that you can do at Hammocks Beach is being able to paddle out to Bear Island for a unique camping experience.
Despite the name, you cannot set up a hammock at Hammocks Beach, due to lack of trees. But the sand is still comfortable enough for a rest after a long day of paddling.
Junior Luke Foote was recently able to experience the journey to Bear Island.
“We paddled in the morning through some beautiful areas. When we landed on the beach, we played games and ate food. I even was able to take a nap on the sand for a few hours,” said Foote.
Taking bronze is Fort Fisher State Park. Fort Fisher is a place of major natural and historical value. Geographically, Fort Fisher is located at the intersection of the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. This positioning made it perfect for an army base during both the Civil War and World War II.
In the Civil War, it was the site of a major Union victory. It was important for the Union to take Fort Fisher because they wanted to limit the Confederacy’s ocean access. In World War II, Fort Fisher served as a firing range for anti aircraft and artillery weapons.
These two aspects come together to create a beautiful and educational state park with many different activities for visitors to participate in.
Second place goes to the tallest mountain this side of the Mississippi: Mount Mitchell. Mount Mitchell State Park is huge and has over 40 miles of hiking trails. The view from its peak is the perfect reward for anyone willing to hike to the top. If you’re not willing to climb to the top, you can also drive up the side of the 6,684 foot mountain.
Mount Mitchell is perfect for backpackers and families alike. For backpackers, many primitive campsites dot Mount Mitchell’s base and sub-peaks. For families, roads up the side lead you to one-third to one-half mile loop trails, perfect for day trips.
The number one state park in North Carolina is Grandfather Mountain. Grandfather Mountain is host to many different attractions in addition to its skill gradient of hiking trails, the most popular of which is the Mile High Swinging Bridge.
The Mile High Swinging Bridge spans from one peak of the mountain to the other at a surreal height of one mile above sea level. Just like Mount Mitchell, you don’t have to hike up Grandfather Mountain to experience the peak. You can drive up the side and still have access to the bridge.
Another big feature is the Wilson Center, which houses a museum, a restaurant and multiple animal habitats. All of these activities are within walking distance of each other and can fill up a day rather fast.
The animal habitats are structured similarly to a zoo, but the animals have much more space than the average zoo animal. It also only contains animals native to the mountains of North Carolina, making sure that they have the right climate, year-round.
Since the devastation of Hurricane Helene, the citizens of North Carolina hope that these parks survived without too much damage and will be opening again soon for everyone to enjoy.
